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Pastured Egg Production

Pastured Egg Production.

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Pastured Egg Production

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  1. Pastured Egg Production Funding for this presentation was provided by USDA's Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (OASDFR) program (Project number 2009-00705), part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Risk Management Agency (Award # 11-IE-53102-037)

  2. What is Pastured Poultry? Raised outdoors on grass Birds express instincts Seasonal production Birds balance diet Insects Plants Pastured vs free range? Challenges and Benefits to Confinement

  3. Why Pastured Hens & Eggs? • Easy In, Easy Out • Eggs in 5 months • Gateway livestock • Smaller Size • Hen vs cow • Infrastructure • Premium Eggs/Price • Quality, flavor, nutrition • Cultural Appreciation • Higher Price/dz • Fertility on pasture • Steady cash flow

  4. So How’s It Done? • Laying chicks ordered • Brooded inside • Placed out on pasture • Trained to housing • Laying at 5-6 months • Breed & Pullet eggs • Point of lay = ~ 25 lbs • Eggs collected daily • Birds Processed around 2 yrs • Decreased laying rate • At state or USDA processor • Some states process on farm

  5. Layer Breeds • Breed is extremely important • 30 – 300+ eggs/hen • Same input costs • Egg Color • Brown Eggs • Sex-Links, RI Reds, etc • White Eggs • Production Leghorns, CA Whites • All layer breeds forage well • Avoid De-beaked, de-clawed, or dubbed birds

  6. The Laying of an Egg • Around 5-6 months • One egg ~25 hrs • Egg Formation • Released from ovary • White & membrane • Shell & Bloom • Rotates, out the vent • Hen seeks dark, quiet • Response to light/seasonality

  7. Layer Nutrition • Layers = Great Foragers • Calcium • Too little • Thin Eggshells • Osteoporosis • Too much • >2.5% Ca during grow out • Protein Needs • Pullet Growth • Molting

  8. Egg Handling • Preserve Quality & Safety • Can loose one grade/day • Salmonella • Wash Carefully • Collected Often • Daily • Twice/day in heat

  9. Layer Housing • Basic needs • Shelter from elements • Wind & Rain • Sun & Predators • Ventilation • Roosting • Laying Boxes • Often Moveable • Ideally low cost

  10. Housing Styles Mobile “Eggmobile” Type Coop Colony House on Skids

  11. Egg Mobiles

  12. Making Money • No Records = No Profits • Key Factors • % Lay Rate • Feed Conversion • Know Production Cost! • Consistent Egg Supply • Multiple Flocks • Maximize Egg Production • Culling/Pullet $ • Whole Farm Impact

  13. Resources • Organizations • ATTRA – the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service – http://www.attra.org • American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA) http://www.apppa.org/ • ATTRA Publications • Small Scale Egg Handling • Pastured Poultry Nutrition • Range Poultry Housing • Small Scale Poultry Processing

  14. Resources • Magazines • GRIT! – APPPA Trade Magazine • Online Resources • Chicken Assement for Increasing Productity • Chapter 2: Selecting for Egg Production Available at http://albc-usa.org/EducationalResources/chickens.html • Books • APPPA. 2006. Raising Poultry on Pasture – Ten Years of Success. 246 p. • Salatin, Joel. 1996. Pastured Poultry Profit$. 371 p. • Damerow, Gail. 2011. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. 356 p.

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